Toy chariot



Oct. 15, 1929. A. RUNYAN TOY CHARIOT Filed April 9, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet @umm Oct. 15,' 1929. A. L. RUNYAN TOY CHARIOT 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed April 9, 1927 .gmentm Patented Oct. l5, 1929 PATENT OFFICE ARTHUR L. RUNYAN, F OIvAI-IA, NEBRASKA TOY CHARIOT Application led April 9, 1927.

My invention relates to improvements in toy chariots, and it more especially consists of the features pointed out in the annexed claims.

The purpose of my invention is to provide a chariot for the use of children which is provided with a seat, a driving crank, a tongue, steering Wheels and a steering .mechanism that has supported on the tongue simulated bodies of a pair of horses; that pivotally supports articulated legs and pivoted head and neck members; that connects the pivoted parts to each other and to the crank in any desired relation as to positive and negative movements and in whatever sequential order such movements may take place; that interdependently connects simulated driving lines to pivoted parts of the horse so as to react onto the crank and thus assist in moving the chariot forward; that may pivot non-articulate horses bodies on the chariot tongue and connect it to the crank to produce a rocking movement as the crank is rotated;

and that may extend the tongue to support v a separate pair of leaders.

Vith these and other ends in view, I illustrate in the accompanying drawing such instances of adaptation as will disclose the broad underlying features of my invention without limiting myself to the speciic details shown thereon and described herein.

Figure l is a side elevation partly in scction.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a steering plate attached to a steering column.

Fig. 4 is a sectional plan of a pair of rigidly connected legs.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic elevation of the inter-related moving parts showing alternative connections.

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic side elevation of a rocking horse and chariot.

In carrying my invention into actual use, I may use whatever alternatives of construction etc., that the exigencies of practical service may demand without departing from the broad spirit of my invention.

Instead of confining my invention to a 5U chariot and attached horses, the same form Serial No. 182,282.

of interconnected mechanism will serve for a simulated sled with wheels, and reindeer-s to take the place of horses, as are exemplified in the drawings. Neither do I limit myself to horses or reindeers, as any other animals may be simulated and all used in the same manner.

The chariot body 1 has wheels 2 attached to an axle 3 in any well known compensating manner. The axle has a sprocket 4 on which a drive chain 5 moves as it is actuated by another sprocket 7 on the crank 6. This crank is supported on the tongue of the chariot in any desired manner. It has pedals 8 which serve the child 10, while sitting on the seat 9, to drive the chariot. A tongue 11 projects forward from the bodyv 1 and it serves to support the horses or other animals. Some distance in front of the chariot the tongue is provided with a pair of steering wheels 33 which are connected together by a steering bar 25 that is pivoted to the tongue by a king pin 24. The steering bar is connected by means of two links 28 to a cross bar 34 at the lower end of the steering column 26 placed directly behind the dash of the chariot. At the upper end of the column 26 a hand wheel 35 is placed so that if the child wishes he can actuate the steering wheel by his hands. On the contrary, if the hands are to be left free to manipulate the driving lines 23 then the joy stick plate 27, which extends backward from 26, between the childs legs, can be used to do the steering in airplane fashion.

The horses 13 are supported on the tongue 11 in any desired manner; for instance, by U or V-shaped members 12 so as to be held against movement when the articulated animals shown in Fig. 1 are used. The head and neck portion 14 of each of these horses is pivoted to the body at 20. A pair of rear legs 16 are pivoted to the body at 22, and a pair of front legs 15 are pivoted to the body at 21. The legs are placed on opposite sides of the body in any desired staggered relation where 9 they are held on their pivots 21 and 22 by nuts 36. Distance tubes 37 through which pivot pins 21 and 22 pass serve to hold a pair of grouped legs in rigid spaced apart relation, by means of a nut 36. By loosening the CII nut 36 the legs may be set in any desired relation to each other.

Movement from the pedals 8 is transmitted to a hind leg 16 of each horse by separate links 17, and in turn each hind leg 16 is connected by a link 18 to its respective herses head 14. The link 18 is connected by link 19 to a pair of front legs 15. Each horse is provided With duplicate links etc., but the relative relation of the connecting points vvhere the links 18 and 19 are pivoted to their respective parts is optional, as shown in Fig. 5. It is obvious that the relative movements of a pair of horses can be changed as desired, by connecting the links on diametrically opposite sides from the pivots or ulcrums of the legs and the horses necks.

Should it be desired to connect a chariot to a pair of rocking, non-articulated horses 29, they may have movement around a pivot at the upper end of any desired support i rom the tongue 11, shown in F ig. 6. vWhen a pair of horses are so attached to the chariot, links 32 pivoted to a hind leg of each horse, similar to links 17, imparts movement to the horse as the crank 6 and pedals 7 are actuated the child. Lines 23 may be attached to the heads ot horses 29, if desired. The steering and driving mechanism or" the arrangement shown in Fig. 6 is the same as that shown in Fig. 1. lVhe'never it is desired to use a paiil oi horses in tandem, the pole 11 may be extended at 31, shown in Fig. 6, and the hind ofthe leaders connected by links to the front legs of the first team. These are iot shown, as such a connection is an obvious one.

A unique feature of my device lies in the cooperative effect I am able to secure by reason of the lines which are connected to the horses heads, These may be coordinated with the pedal movements in any desired manner through the change in pivotal points of the links, so that a pull on one or both lines Will impart motion back to the crank to actuate it over the ordinary idle or return stroke. In this Way I am able to secure a continuous torque on the crank. lVhen the lines are so used the child Will do the steering by means of the joy stick plate which is attached to the steering column.

lVhat claim is:

1. A Wheeled chariot, an animal body having a movable head and separately interconnected movable legs, driving mechanism on the chariot, means for cooperatively actuating all the movable parts of the body from the driving mechanism, and separate means for actuating the driving mechanism from the chariot by imparting movement to an articulate portion of the body.

Q. A. Wheeled toy, comprising a pair of simulated animal bodies having separate articulate head and leg members, a Wheel cart attached to the animals, means on the cart comprising a pair of pedals for propelling the saine, connecting means from the pedals to articulate parts of the animals for imparting movement to them.

3. A wheeled toy, comprising a cart body supported on Wheels, means thereon for propelling the cart, a tongue for the cart, steering Wheels attached to the tongue, links from the steering 1wheel to a steering control on the cart, a pair of articulated separately movable animals supported on the tongue, and means for pulling on a movable part of an animal from the cart to simultaneously assist the propulsion of the cart.

4. lu Wheeled toys, a suitable body, a tongue therefor, steering Wheels attached to the tongue, a steering column in the body, links from the column to the steering Wheels, and a radial projection from the column adapted to project between the legs of the driver Who can thus control the steering Without the use of his hands.

il. Wheeled chariot, an articulate animal body simulating a horse supported in advance of the chariot, means on the chariot for propeiling the same independently of the animal., articulated ore and rear legs, an articulated head, connecting links from the driving mechanism to the rear legs, and interconnected links from the rear legs to the head and the forelegs.

ln testimony whereof I afix my signature.

ARTHUR L. RUNYAN.

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